Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lisa Driver. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Lisa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?
“Cana” of Galilee was the scene of Christ’s first miracle at a marriage feast, better known as our modern day wedding….
He turned water into wine.
Wine was an essential staple of that ancient agricultural society, and in this particular case, the hosts of the marriage feast had run out of wine.
What a disaster and basis for irreparable humiliation….but Jesus took the time out to secure these hosts’ continued ability to portray hospitality.
Miracles….Celebrations….Pausing….Togetherness….
All Over a Glass of Wine .
John 2: 1- 11
Lisa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I, Lisa Driver, am a small business owner, wife, mother, grandmother and believer in Jesus Christ. I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit, and owned a very successful early learning center on Long Island, NY. Upon moving to Georgia, I first needed to settle down and learn the “lay of the land.” When I made the decision to open up another business, I truly prayed about what I should “put my hands to” next.
The inspiration for this venture came from my own initial wine tasting tour experience for a girlfriend’s Bachelorette Party. We had to drive so very far to the designated pickup location, and certainly could not safely drive ourselves back when it was all over. For several months I was entertaining and praying about opening up my own business, and the very next morning after my wine tasting tour, God put it on my heart to open up a wine tasting touring business. After taking care of the legal structure, enrolling in a few classes through the Small Business Development Center at the University of Georgia, I stepped out and purchased a van and set sail! Our Grand Opening Tour was in August 2018.
The biggest problem I believe we solve for our guests would be the worry-free transportation options that we offer. Other companies charge to pick guests up at a residence, hotel, Airbnb, etc., but we will pick you up for no additional cost. I just remember my very first wine tasting tour, and how unsafe it could have been if we had to drive ourselves home that night after being dropped off at the pre-designated pickup/drop off location. We also provide the opportunity for guests to pay separately. If you are a group of friends or Bachelorette Party, or celebrating any occasion (!), we take the time to individually invoice guests separately, taking away the potential burden of one person having to pay for the entire party, and then seek reimbursement from the remaining guests. We try to handle all of the preliminary logistics to make it as seamless as possible – from the time you make the initial inquiry, to when we drop you back off. These features are hands down what sets us apart from other companies in this industry.
We are so proud of our reputation. We do what we say we are going to do, and we truly make it a personable experience. All of our social media platforms and search engine reviews speak for themselves. We aim to provide unforgettable, high quality, North Georgia Wine Tour and Tasting experiences for the residents of metro-Atlanta.
Have you ever had to pivot?
As with all of the businesses in this country, the most consequential time for Cana Wine Tours forcing us to pivot, was COVID-19. With the dawning of a new wine season, and just finishing up our second year of operations, 2020 was set to be the year for us to really start congealing and solidify certain aspects of our business model.
The first quarter of 2020 was booming. We were projected to double our sales from the year prior, and then everything, the state, the country, the world, shut down. All businesses in Georgia were closed and we did not operate for the months of April and May of 2020. And then GA Gov. Brian Kemp made the decision to fully open the state of Georgia. As a result, residents from neighboring states came to Georgia for recreation, as well as the natives of Georgia were spending their dispensable income solely in-state. Our sales tripled for the year of 2020.
Rightfully so, everyone was still very wary about touring in a vehicle with guests that were not members of their nuclear circle. We understood this and we made every single tour a Private Tour. Prior to COVID-19, our Private Tours had to have a minimum of 10 guests. During COVID, if you had, 2, 4, 5, 6, any denomination over 2, we gave you a Private Tour. Did this exponentially increase our overhead? Yes. Did we make as much money as we could have? No. But the peace of mind this pivot provided to guests was invaluable. I just thought of if I were seeking this service and put myself in my guests’ shoes, and made the decision on how I would want to be treated, and implemented that. To date, we have so many returning guests, and I truly feel it is due in part to how we over extended our service during those uncertain times.
How did you build your audience on social media?
My daughter Sarah is how our audience on social media was built. Before she took over, we had a presence, however, it was just that, a presence. With Sarah falling in the declining years of the millennial generation, she was the one who exemplified how these young people are marked for elevated usage of and familiarity with, the Internet, mobile devices, and social media, Sarah is a true digital native. In this world, social media platforms reign. The true power of social media is influence. Social media provides an avenue for companies to not only engage with customers, but also influence them with the right content that helps them make a decision. Sarah has leveraged the power of social media for this company. Since social media has changed the way we communicate, it has become a powerful tool and force to communicate to the outside world in a free and open forum. Our presence on Instagram, Facebook, Google, Bing, Yelp, Twitter, TripAdvisor, Viator, and Airbnb Experiences has skyrocketed not only our presence in the Wine Tour industry, but also in our sales.
My biggest advice for those just starting to build a social media presence is to let someone else do it if you are not familiar with the navigational requirements. You will spend more time than a social media professional, and if this is not your area of expertise, leave it to someone who it is to handle this aspect of your business. The time you spend muddling around and trying to figure each platform out, takes away from the time you need to build, promote and handle your business!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.canawinetours.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canawinetours/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CanaWineTours
- Linkedin: n/a
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/canawinetours
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/cana-wine-tours-hampton-2
- Other: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g34994-d14791841-Reviews-Cana_Wine_Tours-Hampton_Georgia.html https://www.tripshock.com/partners/Cana-Wine-Tours/495165/ https://www.google.com/search?q=cana+wine+tours&rlz=1C1SQJL_enUS853US854&oq=cana+wine+tour&aqs=chrome.0.69i59l3j69i57j0i22i30j0i390l4.6967j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8